1. Description and objective
"Global Engagement" was born out of a university-wide process of reflection on old and new ways to engage with the Global South in a world where ‘life itself is at stake’, in the words of Cameroonian philosopher Achille Mbembe. To remain relevant as an institution today requires precisely reflecting upon this rapidly changing and complex context and propose holistic and collaborative approaches to create meaningful change.
Global Engagement focuses on the role in all this for academic work on, in and with partners of the so-called Global South. We believe that the global challenges of our current era crucially hinge on combining a diversity of academic and non-academic knowledges in building inclusive and sustainable pathways of change. Partnerships crossing the north-south divide do however also come with their own challenges and ups and downs and are themselves also becoming more sustainable through a learning trajectory.
The Paul Panda Farnana prize wants to highlight one of such partnership experiences because of the inspiration it may give for others to ‘globally engage’ in the academic world.
2. Call
| The university wishes to promote its global engagement and relevance through an annual prize that rewards partnerships and collaborations that promote reflection and dialogue about equitable north-south partnerships, decolonization, global citizenship, anti-racism, epistemology and knowledge violence, development cooperation, and global citizenship education. |
The decision to name this annual 'Prize' on Global Engagement after Paul Panda Farnana is a gesture to commemorate and honor the legacy of the first Congolese graduate of Belgian Higher Education, who was a dedicated advocate for African emancipation.
3. Candidates: sustainable partnerships
Nominations for the Paul Panda Farnana Prize must be submitted by a member of the University of Antwerp to the Academic Committee on Global Engagement through the form below.
Partnerships can be nominated through someone affiliated with the University of Antwerp. You can nominate partnerships of your colleagues, or partnerships in which you are involved.
Each nomination should include:
- A concise description of the partnership you wish to nominate and of each of the institutions involved.
- A rationale for the nomination that aligns with the objectives of Global Engagement, also briefly outlined above.
4. Jury award and selection
The Paul Panda Farnana Prize is bestowed annually. The recipient is chosen by the Academic Committee on Global Engagement.
The award will be presented at the university's annual Global Engagement academic event, with the upcoming one scheduled for April 3rd 2025.
Nominations can be submitted until the 17th of March 2025.
The Academic Committee on Global Engagement emphasizes initiatives that demonstrate innovative ways of global engagement, in the framework of a partnership that has acquired some sustainability over time.
The prize includes recognition for the work done, and the selected project may benefit from further dissemination through the Global Engagement website.
5. Prize
The award consists of a prize of 1,500€ and a symbolic artwork referring to the principles of Global Engagement.
This project was made possible by Global Minds funding from VLIR-UOS.
